High-level Political Forum

High-level Political Forum
Name	High-level Political Forum
Abbrev	HLPF
Founded	2013
Parent organization	United Nations
Headquarters	New York City
Leadership	President, Bureau
Purpose	Sustainable development review and policy coordination

Contents

High-level Political Forum

The High-level Political Forum is the United Nations platform for follow-up and review of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals, and for facilitating policy coordination among United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Economic and Social Council, UN Member States, and Major Groups and Other Stakeholders. It convenes ministers, heads of state, and representatives from United Nations Secretariat, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and regional commissions such as Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, and Economic Commission for Africa. The forum’s outcomes inform processes associated with entities including the United Nations Statistical Commission, Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators, High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and other multilateral mechanisms.

Background and mandate

The forum operates under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and reports to the United Nations General Assembly. Its bureau comprises a rotating presidency and vice-presidents drawn from regional groups: African Group, Asia-Pacific Group, Eastern European Group, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC), and Western European and Others Group (WEOG). Participating entities include UN Member States, United Nations entities, and Major Groups designated in the Rio+20 outcome: Business and Industry, Children and Youth, Indigenous Peoples, Non-Governmental Organizations, Local Authorities, Scientific and Technological Community, Workers and Trade Unions, Farmers, and Women. Other stakeholders include representatives from World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, and networks such as the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation.

Annual ministerial segments and quadrennial or thematic reviews bring together representatives from United Nations Member States, Heads of State, and ministers for thematic sessions on issues such as poverty eradication, climate change engagements with actors like United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, sustainable infrastructure debated with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and New Development Bank, health policy intersecting with World Health Assembly topics, and financing involving International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group. Themes have referenced instruments and events like the Paris Agreement, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development reports, and high-level meetings such as the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage.

The forum conducts Voluntary National Reviews submitted by UN Member States and assessed with inputs from United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Statistics Division, and expert groups including the Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators. Reviews draw on national reports, regional reviews from bodies such as Economic Commission for Europe and Economic Commission for Africa, and stakeholder submissions from entities like Transparency International, Oxfam International, World Resources Institute, Global Reporting Initiative, and academic centers including Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, Columbia University, and Oxford University. The follow-up process links to donor coordination via Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and OECD Development Assistance Committee reporting and to peer review mechanisms such as Universal Periodic Review in human rights contexts.

Critics from civil society organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace International, and think tanks such as International Institute for Sustainable Development and Chatham House have raised concerns about the forum’s inclusivity, politicization, and the quality of Voluntary National Reviews. Debates involve member states like Russia, United States, China, and Saudi Arabia over language in outcome documents, links to private sector actors such as World Economic Forum and multinational corporations, and tensions with treaty bodies including Human Rights Council and International Criminal Court. Other controversies touch on data reliability related to the Global SDG Indicators Database, funding constraints voiced by Least Developed Countries, and coordination challenges noted by European Commission and regional development banks such as Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank.